Here are some of the Frequently Asked Questions about being a member of the Girls of Steel. If you don’t find what you need, please contact us at girlsofsteelrobotics@gmail.com.
Do the girls absolutely have to participate in selling items for the fundraisers? No.
What are the girls selling in the fundraisers? Usually we run the Sarris Candies Holiday Fundraiser in the fall. If we decide to do the holiday fundraiser, information will be found on the website here.
On the days nearest to the end of build season are the girls absolutely expected to stay until 12 mid-night or later? No. FIRST no longer requires bag & tag of the robot, though there may still be an occasional late night to finish up important aspects of the robot before a competition.
Is financial assistance offered to girls who cannot pay the full amount? Yes, fee waivers are available the fee for girls who qualify. Submitting a prior year tax form is required. Please contact Liz at kysele@andrew.cmu.edu if you have any questions.
Do the older girls mentor the younger or newer GoS girls? Yes. The experienced girls often mentor the new girls and the junior members on the FTC teams. Experienced girls also mentor our FLL teams.
How are the girls chosen to be a part of GoS? Girls apply to join the team by completing an application during the summer. Girls are accepted according to the number of positions open. Sign up here to receive the newsletter and join the mailing list to receive an application for any of our opportunities.
What other opportunities will the GoS be exposed to from being involved with GoS? Girls will receive opportunities to travel to conferences and outreach events to make presentations and/or do robot demos locally and regionally. They will also have opportunities to mentor younger children on the GoS FLL Challenge and FLL Explore teams or at our summer camps.
I am a parent who wants to get involved – how can I do that?
- Contact us at girlsofsteelrobotics@gmail.com to request information about the mandatory PA child abuse and FBI clearances. We will send information to you.
- If you already have clearances, contact us at girlsofsteelrobotics@gmail.com for next steps.
- Finally, join us at a meeting to see what it’s like. The meeting schedule is available on the calendar here.
- We always need help making buttons and bandanas for the team, too. No experience is needed.
- You don’t have to be an electrical or mechanical engineer or a programmer to help the team.
- We always need help with constructing the practice field in January and February, so if you like building things you can join us then.
What is your limit on the amount of girls accepted into the organization each year? In general the limit is about 50 high school girls for the FRC team and about 15 8th/9th grade girls for the junior member FTC teams.
Do the GoS girls form bonds that thrive after graduation from high school? Yes! You can ask the alums who come back to meetings, the holiday party, or the annual Gala picnic.
If younger girls decided to attend alma maters of the older girls is there a network in place? We have contact information for the alums so the younger girls can make connections during a college visit.
Will my daughter be equipped with the information and knowledge to build a robot on her own after she leaves the GoS team? Your daughter will be equipped with information, knowledge, skills, and experiences that will allow her to form friendships and work on teams in many fields, including robotics.
Are there any summer opportunities available for building robots and coding? Yes. When we hear of opportunities they are announced to the team via email, team meetings, or in the Girls of Steel newsletter, or other media channel.
How can I make a tax-deductible donation to the organization? Go to this link on the Girls of Steel Website or send a check payable to Carnegie Mellon University to the address below. Please note “Girls of Steel” in the memo.
Lynnetta Miller
Carnegie Mellon University
Robotics Institute
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh PA 15213
Is attendance taken for each meeting? Yes. We take attendance at each meeting because there is an attendance requirement for high school members.
How many times a week must the girls meet?
- During the preseason (late September through December) the girls meet twice per week, on Tuesdays from 5:30 to 8:30 pm and again on Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 pm.
- During the build season (~6 weeks in January and February) the girls are expected to attend meetings for an average of 10 hours per week. The meetings are held at Carnegie Mellon University 6555 Penn Avenue Pittsburgh PA 15206 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:30 pm and on Saturdays from ~10 am to ~3 pm.
- During the competition season (March through April) members are expected to attend the all hands meetings on Tuesdays and are encouraged to attend the additional meetings on Saturdays.
- Outreach events occur throughout the year and girls will be invited to sign up to participate.
Where do I find the calendar or events and meetings? The calendar is available here.
Whom do I contact with questions or concerns about my daughter’s experience on the team? Please direct your question or concern to George at kantor@ri.cmu.edu .
Who is the payee on the checks for payments for fees, t-shirts, Sarris orders, etc.? The payee is “Carnegie Mellon University”.
What is the address for payments? The address is: TBA
Where can I purchase a Girls of Steel t-shirt or bandana? You can request to purchase a GoS t-shirt or bandana by writing to us at girlsofsteelrobotics@gmail.com
My child is interested in FIRST LEGO League. How do I sign up to receive information about joining the team? Please write to us at girlsofsteelroboticsFLL@gmail.com to sign up to receive notifications about joining the team.
Information about the Girls of Steel FLL teams is available on the website here .
What are some of the local programs offered by Girls of Steel?
- Girls of Steel Robotics FRC 3504: girls in grades 9-12 and 14 by 12/31.
- Girls of Steel Robotics junior member program FTC 9820, FTC 9821, & FTC 9981: girls in 8th grade or 9th grade and 13 by 9/30. Read about the FTC team here.
- Girls of Steel Robotics FLL Challenge teams 2641, 4212, 18137, and 33303: boys & girls in grades 4 to 8.
- Girls of Steel Robotics FLL Explore teams meet at CMU at 6555 Penn Ave. in the spring.
- Girls of Steel summer camps: FLL Skills camps for boys and girls in grades 4 to 8.
- Chassis Building Workshops: offered at various times during the year.
FRC Competitions involve a Thursday and Friday (school days/work days). Are all the girls expected to miss school on those days? Yes, but we understand there may be circumstances that would prevent a girl from attending the competition(s).
Do girls get asked to leave the team if they cannot attend the away competitions due to financial/school work concerns? No.
Team members will find answers to many of their outreach questions in our Outreach 101 document. Please contact the outreach lead on Discord if you still have questions or concerns about outreach. Also, please remember to complete the outreach response form within 48 hours of attending an event.
Let us know if you have other questions by email at girlsofsteelrobotics@gmail.com.
Notes:
- FRC = FIRST Robotics Competition
- FTC = FIRST Tech Challenge
- FLL Challenge = FIRST LEGO League Challenge
- FLL Explore = FIRST LEGO League Explore
